A study from the Department of Neuroscience of Uppsala University in Sweden investigated the changes in working memory performance after a single night of total sleep deprivation. The study focuses on the differences between male and female participants.
The results indicate, of course, that cognitive performance declines following sleep deprivation. Auditory distraction influences cognitive performance, but not to a greater extent when sleep deprived. No subgroup indicated any change in cognitive performance. Men, as a subgroup, did not present a significant change in cognitive performance. Women had a statistically significant change in performance following sleep deprivation, but were unable to predict this.
References
Rångtell, F. H., Karamchedu, S., Andersson, P., Liethof, L., Olaya Búcaro, M., Lampola, L., Schiöth, H. B., Cedernaes, J. and Benedict, C. (2018), A single night of sleep loss impairs objective but not subjective working memory performance in a sex-dependent manner. J Sleep Res. doi:10.1111/jsr.12651
